August 2, 2019 | By Lee Spencer

William Byron comes to the Glen with confidence in his Playoff standing

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.—William Byron helped his case for a Playoff bid with his fourth-place finish last Sunday at Pocono Raceway, where he started 31st after a post-qualifying inspection failure.

While the driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet did not budge from 12th in the standings, Byron widened the chasm between himself and bubble boys Ryan Newman and Clint Bowyer to 50 points and currently holds a 62-point lead over teammate Jimmie Johnson, who is currently 17th in points.

With five races remaining to determine the 16 drivers who will advance to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Playoffs, Byron likes his chances.

“Having to start from the back (at Pocono) altered our strategy some, but we were able to persevere and finish the day with a strong finish and a solid day of points,” Byron said. “The No. 24 team has grown a lot this season, especially the last few weeks, and I think that shows in how our races have gone and the results we’ve had.

“We’re a tight group, and that makes overcoming issues easier and with the ability to leave the track with a good finish. With those good finishes, come good points days.

“We just have to keep doing that to keep racking up the points and solidifying our spot in the playoffs. We’ve continued to gain on the bubble spot almost every weekend, and the hope is to continue that this weekend.”

Under the direction of Chad Knaus, Byron has made significant gains in 2019. He has won three poles and posted two top-five finishes—after scoring none his rookie season—nearly doubled his top 10s (seven) and tripled his laps led from 61 to 180. Byron has also shaved five spots from his average qualifying effort (12.4) and eight positions off of his average finish from 22.1 to 14.2.

Byron ran remarkably well at Watkins Glen as a freshman. He finished 10th in his sole Xfinity Series start at the Glen in 2017 and came from 16th to finish eighth at the 2.45-mile circuit last year. Byron improved from 25th to 19th in one year at Sonoma Raceway and believes he can have similar success at the Glen.

“Sonoma was a good race for us, but Watkins Glen is really fast and narrow compared to that track,” Byron said. “I think with this package, the track is going to be a lot faster.

“I’m excited to see what that’s all about. We can translate some stuff from our setup in Sonoma, and I think it will really be strong for Watkins Glen. I’m excited about that, for sure.”